Structural deformation, melting point and lattice parameter studies of size selected silver clusters

• Published in: The European physical journal. D, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics Vol. 37; no. 3; pp. 409 - 415
• Main Authors: SHYJUMON, I, GOPINADHAN, M, IVANOVA, O, QUAAS, M, WULFF, H, HELM, C. A, HIPPLER, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Les Ulis Springer 01.03.2006; Bologna Società italiana di fisica; Berlin EDP sciences; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agglomeration; Atomic and molecular clusters; Atomic and molecular physics; Atomic force microscopy; Bias; Clusters; Exact sciences and technology; Fluid filters; Lattice parameters; Magnetron sputtering; Melt temperature; Melting points; Nanoclusters; Physics; Quadrupoles; Silicon substrates; Stability and fragmentation of clusters; Studies of special atoms, molecules and their ions; clusters; Tensile strain; Geometrical structure; Cluster size; Silver; Inorganic compounds; Bias; XRD; Metal clusters; Lattice parameters; Nanostructured materials; Sputtering; Atomic clusters
• ISSN: 1434-6060; 1434-6079
• DOI: 10.1140/epjd/e2005-00319-x

Silver clusters have been produced by magnetron sputtering in a gas aggregation nanocluster source. Clusters are size selected using a quadrupole mass filter (3–8 nm) or by varying the aggregation tube length (9–20 nm) of the nanocluster source. Mass selected clusters are deposited on a Si(100) substrate at different bias voltages and are characterized by atomic force microscopy. We observe a significant flattening of clusters on the surface due to the increase of impact energy as a result of increasing substrate bias voltage. The behavior of lattice parameters for size selected clusters are investigated by X-ray diffraction. All measured lattice constants exhibit a tensile strain; it is found that the lattice constant slightly increases with increasing cluster size up to a size of 12 nm and then decreases. The melting temperature of deposited clusters is found to be size-dependent and significantly lower than for bulk material, in agreement with theoretical considerations.